How Iron Man 1 Almost Totally Changed Armor Wars 15 Years Before Its Release

:0:0

Summary

Rhodey's origin story as War Machine was originally planned to be in the first Iron Man movie, impacting his future storylines in the MCU, but was changed to Iron Man 2.
The original plan would have had Tony Stark and Rhodey creating a makeshift War Machine armor using scrap pieces of metal and leftover weapons from Stark Industries.
Removing the original War Machine story allowed for a stronger and more impactful introduction for War Machine in Iron Man 2, making him a memorable and essential character ahead of his solo debut in the MCU's Armor Wars.

Marvel Studios' original plan for James "Rhodey" Rhodes' origin story as War Machine in 2008's Iron Man would have seriously impacted his future in the MCU, and made changes to his upcoming adventures. Terrence Howard debuted as Colonel Rhodes, Tony Stark's best friend, in Iron Man, but the role has become more synonymous with Don Cheadle, who has portrayed Rhodey since 2010's Iron Man 2. Rhodey - who will next appear in Marvel Studios' Armor Wars - has gone from soldier to Avenger, and was even revealed to have been a shapeshifting Skrull in disguise during Phase 5, but his MCU journey almost got off to a very different start.
Iron Man may have introduced Rhodey to the MCU, but he didn't suit up as the superhero War Machine until Iron Man 2. The Phase 2 film saw Rhodey steal Tony Stark's Iron Man Mark II armor, the iteration he designed after returning from his captivity in Afghanistan. This suit has seen a huge evolution in the MCU, presumably with Robert Downey Jr.'s Stark upgrading the War Machine armor along with his own. However, following Iron Man's emotional sacrifice in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, Rhodey will be heading out as War Machine alone in Armor Wars, though this story would have been very different had Iron Man's original plan gone ahead.
Iron Man's Altered War Machine Background Would Have Changed Armor Wars Years Before Close In Marvel Studios' The Art of Iron Man book, it's revealed that Terrence Howard's Rhodey almost suited up as War Machine during 2008's Iron Man, rather than waiting until the 2010 sequel to explore the origin story of the armored hero. This would have seen Stark and Rhodey piece together an improvised War Machine armor from scrap pieces of metal and leftover weapons from the newly-shut-down Stark Industries warehouse, which would have all been brought together on the Iron Man Mark III armor, a.k.a. the War Machine armor. This would have marked a huge change for War Machine's MCU origin, and would have massively impacted his future in the franchise.

Early on in development, there was going to be a big battle scene between Iron Man and the villain at the time, Crimson Dynamo. There was a sequence where Tony [Stark] and Rhodey got together in the garage with a bunch of leftover weapons from the Stark warehouse, and they thought they’d bulk it all onto the Mark III. The result would have been the War Machine armor.

Not only would this have brought War Machine's MCU origin story forward into Iron Man instead of Iron Man 2, and introduced Marvel Comics' Crimson Dynamo into Marvel Studios' first project, but this would have also changed War Machine's motivations throughout his MCU journey. If the War Machine armor had been formed from leftover pieces of Stark technology, the narrative of Armor Wars - which is expected to see Rhodey hunt down stolen and leftover pieces of Stark tech - may have been more complex. War Machine would have always been tied to Iron Man, making it difficult for Rhodey to embark on his own adventure in the MCU's future.
Marvel Comics' Armor Wars (1987-88) saw Iron Man retrieve his stolen designs and technology from a number of notable Marvel villains.
Why Iron Man Was Right To Use Its Actual War Machine Story

2008's Iron Man already spent a great deal of time on Tony Stark building his own Iron Man suits, so the film may have become oversaturated had Stark and Rhodey also pieced together a War Machine armor. This would have only been made worse due to the makeshift and improvised design of the original War Machine armor, as the suit wouldn't have had the imposing and heavy-duty feel that it eventually did during Iron Man 2. This would have seriously weakened Rhodey's origin story as the MCU's War Machine, setting him up to be a disappointing and forgettable hero, rather than the steadfast and strong character that Iron Man introduced.
Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Iron Man: The Art of the Movie released on October 14, 2023.
Key Release Dates